Indian Ringneck taming/time in cage.

Kat547 · Aug 18, 2026

I have a 4 month old IRN we bought home 5 weeks ago.
He is still very scared of me and I am working daily to bond. I can see very slight changes. More relaxed when I sit and not move around too much.

My question is, he has only been out of cage twice as I have been advised to not let him out until he can step up but I am worrying about how long it's taking to tame and him having to spend so much time in cage.

The times he has been let out be has ended up staying out overnight and we have had to catch him to put him back in. This then scares him and we are back to square one with trust.

Does anyone have any advice?

AMD · Aug 18, 2026

Welcome to the forum! When getting an untamed parrot of any species it takes time and patience. Talking softly to him, and just sitting with him will help. It has been 11 years since I have had to train a untamed parrot but it took a long time. Be patient with him and yourself. What I remember from 11 years ago was that it took a long time and I just had to be very calm. Others who have done this recently will hopefully be able to give more advice. Good Luck. OH...would love a pic of this baby!

osklvste · Aug 18, 2026

As above. Taking time to earn it while in the cage is important. Birds don't see time as we do. Flap and chase almost always scares birds. Those with little trust have it shattered. Hopefully his cage is large enough for a wing stretch and maybe a good flap. Don't rush this. Trust is very important for bird care.

Kat547 · Aug 18, 2026

AMD said:
Welcome to the forum! When getting an untamed parrot of any species it takes time and patience. Talking softly to him, and just sitting with him will help. It has been 11 years since I have had to train a untamed parrot but it took a long time. Be patient with him and yourself. What I remember from 11 years ago was that it took a long time and I just had to be very calm. Others who have done this recently will hopefully be able to give more advice. Good Luck. OH...would love a pic of this baby!

Kat547 · Aug 18, 2026

Thank you for your replies. Would you suggest i keep letting him out even though I know it will scare him getting him back in? Or keep him in cage for longer?

AMD · Aug 18, 2026

Kat547 said:
Thank you for your replies. Would you suggest i keep letting him out even though I know it will scare him getting him back in? Or keep him in cage for longer?

What a beauty you have there! If he wants to come out, I personally would let him. As for putting him back in the cage, make it a pleasant experience by giving him a treat. I tell mine that it's time to go home, or lets go get breakfast or treat or whatever. Talking calm and being calm yourself is the key to all of it. Not to go on and on, but they sense our emotions very well. When I was first learning about my parrots this happend about 17 yrs ago. I came home at lunch and was so excited about something that had happened at work and I made the mistake of trying to get out the parrots. They don't recognize postive from negative, just high level of emotions. I got myself bit real good, (major blood letting). That really taught me to have my emotions in check. Hoping the best for you!

Tman · Aug 23, 2026

I just brought home mine July 1st . He is close to five months i have not pet him but he will stepup for me.
I will let you know what I have done so far.
Everything I tell you is with respect. Sometimes its hard to get my point across.
This is Pegasus a male.
Don't let him out he why stress him out to put him back.
Pegasus has not been out of his cage not all.
When we started what I did was I sat up close to the cage. He would be all as high as he could be. And in the corner. What I did was I got a peice of millet I put my arm in the cage (yes my arm i am 6'2. ) my arm went all the way up to his food bowl perch. I lad the millet on the perch, I held on to the millet .
I was sitting in a chair my arm in the cage resting my hand on the perch with the millet.
Now make sure he can see the millet. Pegasus could see the millet. Now hear is the fun part get comfortable. Leave your arm in the cage don't move it make sure out of the corner of your eye you can see him.make sure where your hand and millet is he can come down to you hand easy. Don't look at him, talk softly, just keep talking telling him he's alright. He sees the millet trust me. Don't move your hand or arm thats why you have to be comfortable. I just wait. Make sure no one else bothers you two. Someone else comes in the room he won't come down. As you sit there talking to him don't look at him just once in awhile out of the corner of your eye see if he is watching you and the millet.
Try and do this for about 10 minutes or so. And see if he just moves to get a better view of you. If he moves closer to you even if is a inch. Praise him. If he comes down closer Praise him. If he moves back up don't you stop and give up. He is just testing the waters to see if you move. Make sure you have a hold of the millet. The first time he grabs it he will take a chunk. He may come all the way down right to the same perch. And something may scay him and he will go back up. The whole point here is once he finally take a bit of millet he will probably go back up to his spot. Go ahead and stop for now to give your arm a rest . Then do it again. Just try not to move try not to stare at him. Pegasus started to come down once he to the millet I never moved. After about a week for him taking the millet from my hand on the perch, I would show him the great big peice of millet and just let him grab it form different areas of the cage.
Near try to pet him, just let him know you have treats. As you can see by the pictures I have a perch right at the door of the cage. By now Pegasus new his name and if I said it he would look at me.
So I started calling him down to the door perch. He would come take a bite and leave eat come back for another bite. You really need to be patient with him any movement he doesn't like he will leave and you will just have to wait for him to come down.
As time went on I made the millet peice smaller. I got it were he would take a bud of millet. Then what I did I started making him come closer to the door on the perch.
We are talking days. Like I said he came home on the 1st of July. The more I worked with him the closer to the door frame he got.
Now all the while if I went in to change out his water food bowl wipe off a perch he would be scared. But when I sat with the millet he started to come up to the frame of the door. The frame of the door is important. Once he come up perches on the door frame. You can start to put you hand on you side of the door .and start to work with him to come up to the door frame with your hand up against your side of the cage. You want to hide your hand its not showing you want him to see door only. He will see your hand through the cage. As you work with him to get him to come up to the door frame again. What you are trying to get him to do is just touch your finger as he grabs the door frame . Here is were you going to have to figure out how you want to handle it. As he goes to go up to step up on the door frame with your hand there he may grab your finger with his beak. It will look like he is just reaching out and grabbing your finger. He may put pressure on the grab. What he is doing is checking to see if your finger can handle his foot on you. Pegasus did it about 5,6 times the first couple of times wasn't to bad one time it hurt. But what I started doing was just move my finger a little bit and say thats me. Also make sure you have the millet up high so he keeps his head high.
I am so sorry for rambling . I now have Pegasus taking small pieces of almond from between my fingers. He also is wanting me to come over to work with him. He gets jealous of my other babies. I still have not pet him. When he steps up on my finger I keep my finger right up close to the cage so he can back up and go right in the cage. He needs to feel safe. What we are working on now is time on my finger. He would come take the treat go off my finger on to the perch to eat. And then come back to get another treat. So now iam working on him holding on to my finger longer before I give him the treat. I will tell him to wait as I let him see the treat but just not give it to him to have him stay on my finger longer. He now stays about 20 seconds. I tell him good and give him the treat. I have to stop I know you think iam crazy. Next reply I will tell you more.
Main thing don't get in a hurry. Stay clam and relax and he will come around

Tman · Aug 23, 2026

In this picture you will see his spot when I first started working with him.
I would get him to come down to cage door.
I hope this helps.

Kat547 · Aug 23, 2026

Thank you for all that information. I will try that. He is beautiful and great cage set up. My cage door opens downwards and I have a perch by the door but I am scared he will escape

Kat547 · Aug 23, 2026

He Just climbs frantically

osklvste · Aug 23, 2026

Such gorgeous pictures of cage set ups. Even more beautiful birdie.

Tman · Aug 23, 2026

Just for reference my hand is behind thr front of the door.
The next one is still behind the door but raised it up just one finger and asked for a step up.
If you are ale to put the chair in front of the cage door you should be all right.
Since your door opens down does it make a platform. Then try and lay your hand flat and have him walk on it to get a treat. This way he can eat treat and back up and go inside. What your looking for is him coming and touching you. he steps up on your hand . Make sure your hand is flat.on the door with knuckles up. This way he won't feel like you are trying to catch him.
One more thing. Do feel like he's going to escape. No anxiety. Relax and clam he will sense the anxiety.
You have to realize things will happen. Your work with him and he gets out. Calmly go get him put him back. Wait just a minute. And continue with working with him.
I'll stop you have a good day.
All the luck. Any questions just ask.

HarleY 06 · Sep 25, 2026

at 5 months of age the bird should be still in a weaning lifestyle. tone down the expectation of results, they only come in the birds time , , , not yours!
Trust and patience - there are plenty of posted replies from different members relative to what you are expecting/wanting to happen
when I see good advice from a member in this forum, I print up a copy and tack it beside my bed. every time I remind myself by reading the good advice . . like you I want to be a better carer of my bird/s
AMD's post after your initial post on the 18Aug states your needed purpose, all others -mine included, are what we think in how you should go around it.
It ain't easy, theres no ONE fix, but there is a fix, you just need to find it.
keep us informed - there is a lot of help in, and from, our forum . . . which is yours too!!!